October 11
Did the Brazilian star deserve the red card?
Vinicius Junior apologized to his Real Madrid teammates and fans after being sent off during Saturday's 1-0 victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu.
According to Spanish newspapers, Vinicius Junior reacted to his dismissal on social media, posting a short message on his Instagram account after the match, having received the red card in the 72nd minute.
The Brazilian winger wrote: "The happiness continues... I apologize to my team and its fans," in a message that combined celebrating Real Madrid's victory with apologizing for leaving his teammates a man down during the crucial stage of the match.
Vinicius's sending off came in one of the most controversial moments of the evening. He had come on as a substitute in the second half and put the ball in the net in what appeared to be Real Madrid's second goal, but the referee disallowed it, ruling that Vinicius had fouled a Villarreal defender in the challenge before the shot, pulling Saliba's hair.
In the same incident, the referee showed Vinicius a red card, forcing the player to leave the pitch and head to the dressing room.
The Brazilian forward left the field visibly angry at the referee's decision, responding with gestures of protest before departing.
The sending-off forced Real Madrid to defend their 1-0 lead with ten men, after Yann Diomande had scored the only goal of the match in the 63rd minute.
Vinicius Junior soon returned to express his anger, sharing a new post on his Instagram story in which he voiced his frustration with what he perceives as the refereeing decisions he frequently receives.
The post included the comment: "The player who always gets the yellow and red cards is Vinicius, what a shame," accompanied by a series of images from various matches where, according to the player, his opponents went unpunished despite committing fouls against him or striking him.
